In recent years, the use of electronic money has become widespread. In a prepaid electronic money system, electronic information called value, the electronic information provided with the same exchangeable value as money, is stored in an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip carried by the user, and, by reducing it with a terminal in a store or the like, payment of a product or service is made (this type of electronic money is called stored value type electronic money).
On the other hand, processing for increasing the amount of value (hereinafter referred to as the value balance) stored in the IC chip is called recharging, and, by collecting an amount corresponding to the value from the user at the time of recharging, the value is brought into correspondence with actual money, whereby the exchangeable value of the value is ensured.
Incidentally, at present, the widespread electronic money is blank electronic money with the user's name and address unidentified on the electronic money provider's side.
Moreover, the electronic money is used not only for payment of a price in a store and payment of a train fare but also for payment via a network by using a portable terminal or the like. In Patent Document 1, such an example is disclosed.
As described above, with the spread of use of electronic money, there has been a rising demand from the user who desires to make various payments by electronic money if at all possible. For example, if it is possible to make payments of public utility bills (such as electricity, gas, water, and TV reception fees), newspaper subscription, taxes, an insurance premium, and so forth which have to be paid regularly via electronic money, the usefulness of electronic money is further improved.